Man Worried About Wife’s Pit Bull When Baby Is Born Is Completely Blown Away by What He Does

Given the horror stories that are routinely covered by the media, it’s easy to understand how people with no personal experiences with pit bulls could think they are all ticking time bombs. Greg Heynen was one of them. Until he saw the amazing thing that his wife’s dog Zack did after his daughter was born…

This is Greg’s story:

My wife and I owned two dogs that we had owned before we met and brought into the marriage. Her dog was a pit bull/Labrador cross named Zack, and he hated me. When our daughter was born, I said to the wife, ‘If he so much as nips at the baby, he’s gone.’

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We brought our daughter home in a car seat, and both dogs sniffed and licked her, tails wagging. I had to pull Zack away from her because he wouldn’t stop licking her. Zack immediately became my daughter’s protector, and when she was lying on a blanket on the floor, he always had to have one foot on the blanket.

Zack loved my daughter immensely, and when she became a little older always walked her to bed, and then slept on the bed with her. He somehow knew whenever it was time to go upstairs, and he would wait at the foot of the stairs for her, and then follow her up to bed.

Zack was poisoned by some dirtbag neighbor kids, and we had one of the worst days of our lives. Watching my daughter say goodbye to him as he laid still on the kitchen floor, my wife and I were both sobbing.

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At 8:00 that night, my daughter walked to the stairs to go to bed. At that moment, all three of us realized what was about to happen. After five years, she didn’t have Zack to accompany her upstairs. She looked at her mother and me with a look of horror and panic.

It was at that moment that my dog, who loved my daughter dearly, but was not in Zack’s league, stood up, walked over to her, and nudged her with his head. He put his foot on the stairs, and looked up at her. They walked up to bed, with my daughter holding tightly to his neck.

For the next six years, until he died, Sam waited for her by the stairs each night.

studied English and has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a focus on animal behavior, neuropsychology, and psychotherapy. She shares two pit bulls (adopted from the SPCA Serving Erie County) with her family, as well as three adopted cats with her husband, Fred. She takes pride in being a grammar enthusiast and advocating for animals, the environment, equal rights, and humanitarianism. She loves camping, cooking, taking photos, listening to psychedelic rock and indie music, and making all sorts of crafty things – from charm bracelets and paper rose bouquets to kitty condos and feral cat houses!

Melanie was sharing this profile with Fred, who is new to the Life With Dogs family, so many stories that were written by Fred from April 2014 – June 2014 will appear under Melanie’s name.

Anonymous… they aren’t necessarily a “mean breed” but they are a genetically unstable breed. I have friends that have had Pits for years and they most certainly were playful loving dogs that protected their young daughter. These friends always said that there are no bad Pitbulls, just bad owners and the breed gets a bad name. They maintained how sweet and harmless their Pits were. These dogs were treated like members of the family. On their daughter’s 6th Birthday they heard a commotion in the family room and went in to find their daughter mutilated to death by their dogs. You own this breed at your own risk regardless of what you think and best of luck to your family and anyone that ventures anywhere near your property.

I’m sorry but you would be wise to read up on pit bull dogs and fatal dog attacks on humans. Zach, had he lived longer, may have remained a devoted pet or he may have shocked everyone and attacked and perhaps killed that baby he appeared to love so much. There appears to be no way to predict which, but these are the most dangerous dogs in the USA – maybe on the planet.

Pit bulls are responsible for something like 65 – 70% of all fatal dog attacks on humans in the USA. What’s more, it’s often the beloved family dog who the entire family adores and the dog who seems to adore the entire family, who inexplicably flies into an attack and kills a member of that very family. It might be gramma or grampa or perhaps one of the youngest children, including the baby it was so protective of. It could be anyone at all. The families of these dogs are absolutely mystified and bewildered as to how their wonderful pit bull dog could have done this.

The fact is, pit bulls have been bred to kill and I believe that is the problem. I don’t blame the dogs but I also don’t think they should be allowed to be bred anymore. Let’s let this damaged and dangerous breed die out and try to prevent this kind of breeding for killing from ever happening again. It has lead to nothing but tragedy all the way around – for humans and for the dogs.

I don’t own a pit bull, as I am not a fan of dogs. Not because they have done anything bad to me, or anyone I know, I just am not a fan. At the same time you people shouldn’t sit here and talk so badly about these dogs. I have known many people that have owned pit bulls and all of them have never had any issues with their dogs. My family owned two miniature dachshunds growing up and my boy dog was notorious for nipping at people and even making them bleed. I say this because all dogs could have a tendency to snap, but then again, so do people. Beverly, your comment about letting the dog breed die out because they are dangerous is the most idiotic thing I have ever read. How about we just let the human population die out because they are the most dangerous things on this planet. We kill not only animals, but our own kind as well, EVERY DAY, ALL DAY!!!! So lets just kill all pit bulls because some snap right? That’s just like saying lets kill off all people because some snap. You’re ignorant. Maybe you just shouldn’t talk anymore, along with all those others that have ignorant comments about this.

I don’t believe that for a second. Half of ALL dog bites are from Pit Bulls. Pit Bulls have been bred to fight and they can turn fast. NEVER leave a child alone around a Pit Bull. EVER. It is not just bad owners. There have been many reports of “sweet” family Pit Bulls who wouldn’t hurt a fly, going nuts and ripping a child (or an adult) apart one day. It happens so frequently that I can’t believe anyone would allow a Pit Bull around their child. You’re playing with fire! It’s like handing a rattle snake over to your kid and insisting that the snake is your pet and wouldn’t harm anyone. Hello? It’s a snake!!

I have pit bulls that are raised not to fight unless attacked. I have 2 children and 4 grand children, and all of them tug, hit, pull, poke and do child like behavior with the pit bulls and NEVER even gotten a growl from them. They get licked by them which is not threarening in any way. The kids poke them in the eyes, pull their ears and put hands in the pits mouth. The pits simple turn their head and continue to allow the kids to do whatever they want. I’d trust my pits to be alone with me children and grand children any day of yhe week. Can you say the same for humans? How many children have been killed at daycare, or killed by babysitters or nannies, or drugged up moms? The truth is Sandy, your ignorant and perpetuate that which you do not understand, comprehend or agree with. By the way, Chihuahuas bite more people than any other dog breed, so don’t bend lies into truths. It is the owner not the dog. Dogs do what they are raised to do, just like children.

I like how people have these statistics on how dangerous pits are, but have no sources, or anything but their word on the matter. It’s like nutritional science, the media has broken it. No worries to most of you, I just couldn’t reply directly to one of the annoying comments. I. personally have seen more people harmed by people than by dogs. Also from experience, it is a lot of the time people’s fault. We are far more aggressive and capable are far more destruction than a dog. Just look at every war or police action in human history, my biggest point here is World War 2 when we leveled entire cities. One specific group of people was attempting to eradicate everyone that they didn’t like. They were quite successful, they couldn’t however. That is all. I hope I summed up a good reasoning for dog danger, us.

I agree and disagree, I had a pittbull, she was the biggest baby in the world, we loved her to pieces. She played with our cats and all the kids in the neighborhood. My nephew grew up with her, and he thought all pittbulls were as kind as ours. He was wrong, one neighborhood pittbull got loose and came at him as he tried to pet it, Good thing the owner was near by. It’s all about the owner, to raise the dog!

Apparently your missing the whole point of this story. Pit bulls were the original baby sitters. If you think it should never be left alone with a baby then any dog should never be left alone with a baby. Dont try and blame it on genetics. Their genetics are great. Its crappy people who have made some mean. You are more likely to get bit by a rottie or german shephard or Chiuauah for that matter.

You are so right Brit,plus I have read in few web site and news paper,that the Golden Retriever have the highest bite record then most other dogs,and the are also one of the good family dogs,go figure. I love all dogs and cats,it the crappy dog owner who don’t train their dog right,or want to make the dog mean,so the person can feel he is a big ass dude. Jail the owner and not the dogs!! ALL dogs and cat are good animals,it IS the People who are bad!

I’ve “heard” pit bulls that are pure bred AND have good, responsible owners will never be a problem.

It’s the ones that have bad breeding, like inbreeds etc. and of course fools who do not raise them properly, do not feed them the proper diet, pay them the proper attention, you know what I’m talking about. Those are the pit bulls that cause problems. Sadly, there are just too many of those out there.

Totally agree. If you were made to do some of the things these dogs have been made to do and abused by your owner to be mean – what would you do? A story by the Seattle Police department said they were trying to use pit bulls (hate the word pit) as police dogs. They were great except for one thing – they couldn’t get them to be aggressive. Any dog is going to be mean and bite if taught to do so no matter what their breed. I’m more apprehensive of the “little dogs” than the big dogs. Talk about aggressive dogs.

I would leave my kids alone with a pit before I would with a human! A dogs temperament is all imprinted from the owner. I have a pit/boxer/ridgeback mix and he is by far the gentlest most loyal pet I have ever had the pleasure of being around. I foster dogs for a rescue so a new dog comes into my house every 6 to 8 weeks and have never had a problem with Parker. He is the best dog trainer I have ever seen. If a dog is dog aggressive he trains them not to be, human aggressive gets squashed immediately and he even helps with housebreaking. My 3 year old grandson wants Parker to sleep with him if he had a bad dream because Parker is his protector as he puts it. The only time he has ever shown aggression was when a person that did not belong at our house was walking towards my daughter-in-law and grand kids. Parker put himself between the intruder and the family and made it abundantly clear the guy should leave. Long story short I trust my pit with my and my families lives!

I wish you were correct but you are not. They were never bred as baby sitters,(I believe you are thinking of Boxers, which actually are referred to as “Nanny Dogs” not pit bulls) they were originally bred as fighters. They are strong, protective dogs to a fault. They will choose who they will protect and lo be the person or thing that makes even the slightest move toward that person, whether it be an intruder, another dog, a cat, the family pet bird, or the newborn that was obviously attacking his precious owner……….they will quickly and ferociously meet their demise.http://blog.dogsbite.org/2016/04/2016-dog-bite-fatality-family-pit-bull-kills-baby-san-diego.html

Yes, there are other breeds that bite and maul. The difference is that when most breeds attack they can be stopped, repelled, or called off. Once Pit Bull decides something needs to die, it can not be called off or in most cases stopped by anything less than a bullet to the brain or a crow bar jammed between it’s jaws and wrenched hard. Yes , that happened. It saved an elderly man’s life but I’m guessing by your comments that you would have preferred the old man die rather than his vicious attacker. I mean, really, he should have known better than to walk to his own mail box! This darling family pet of the people next door was only protecting his property from this vile attacker of the evening post. Have a nice day you incredible idiot.

How about “don’t leave a newborn alone with ANY dog.” I have had large dogs all my life. In that mix was a dobe, lab rottie mix, Bernese and one pittie mix and one American bulldog mix. None of them ever bit anyone. I loved and trusted all of them. They slept, came on trips, etc with me. They were purposely all exposed to people, especially children. A few would react to cats and a couple would react with each other over food. That was enough to show me first and mostly they are still animals not human. No matter how great they were/are, PLEASE watch them with babies and children

You are so wrong, you don’t even know how wrong you are. Pit bulls are EXTREMELY protective of children. YOU would be a bigger threat than that dog, who would tear your throat out before allowing you to hurt that child.

Dogs will put up with hell from babies that no adult could get away with. They know when a creature is helpless, and that baby was HIS BABY.

People who’ve never had pit bulls really shouldn’t comment on them. The stupid media hysteria over these dogs is just that – hysteria.

you are confusing dog with owner, I have 2 pitbulls and a 3 year old daughter. everyday they play together and I have never seen any signs of anger.it all depends on how you riase and train them, any dog can be dangerous if the owner wants it to.

There is an awful lot of ignorance being thrown around this blog, namely by Beverly and Sandy on 4/20. I don’t know, maybe they were celebrating the holiday a little too much and were too high to realize how stupid the things they were saying are. You two and your ignorance is more dangerous than 50 rabid Pit Bulls.

First of all, there are several different breeds of “Pit Bulls,” and most “Pit Bulls” are mutts, so no accurate breed specificity can be made about attacks. Most of the breed information/statistics presented are nothing more than a guess as to the breed (a statement made/supported by the CDC and ASPCA).

Second, a large majority of that attack data is taken solely from media reports, which are heavily influenced by biased public opinion. To quote the CDC report: “… to the extent that attacks by 1 breed are more newsworthy than those by other breeds, our methods may have resulted in differential ascertainment of fatalities by breed. … [B]ecause identification of a dog’s breed may be subjective (even experts may disagree on a breed of a particular dog), DBRF [dog bite related fatalities] may be differentially ascribed to breeds with a reputation for aggression.” The next time you see a report on the news about a dog attack, just watch….If it is NOT a pit bull that did the attacking, they will NOT MENTION THE BREED AT ALL…guaranteed! (it actually probably won’t even be a story at all).

This CDC study begins at the same time pit bulls’ “Evolution of a Bad Rap” started. Prior to that, according to “The Pit Bull Placebo,” pit bulls were nowhere to be found on bite lists. “In a 10-year span, from 1966 – 1975, there is only one documented case of a fatal dog attack in the United States by a dog which could even remotely be identified as a ‘Pit bull,’ ”

I could go on and on all day and tell you how sweet my Pit is and how my wife (a 1st grade teacher) has our dog around her kids all the time…they pull, poke, yell in the dog’s face etc. and the dog has never once so much as growled at them, she just sits patiently, plays with them, and/or kisses them. Instead I will just leave you with a few more quick facts for all the ignoramuses out there….namely Beverly and Sandy.

-More children are killed every year by their cribs than by Pit Bulls….25 x more.

-You are 60 times more likely to be killed by a coconut that falls out of a tree than by a pit bull.

-A child is more than 800 times more like to be killed by their adult guardian than by a Pit Bull.

-you are 151 times more likely to drowned in your bathtub than be killed by a pit bull.

So by your logic, BEVERLY, we should cut down all coconut bearing palm trees in the world, we should stop bathing, and we should absolutely not leave our children with their adult guardians, because those things are WAY MORE LIKELY to kill you than a pit bull!!!!! I really ope you have no children and you are as old as your name sounds!!

You know what baffles and scares me more than someone putting their child in the same room as a pit bull?…..How so many adults on this planet have achieved such a high levels of stupidity. Well, I guess that’s why children are 800 times more likely to be killed by their adult caretaker than by a pit bull, right?

There are some pits that are bad and some that are good. We have three that my daughter rescued. They are not dangerous unless somebody tries to walk in the door and they don’t know them. If we walk in first they are fine, of course they have to sniff and sniff which isn’t always fun but they are safe. The grey one that looks like the one in the picture above is so old that the vet doesn’t know how old he is. He sleeps all day pretty much. Sometimes my brother forgets to bring him inside and he will sleep on the chairs outside on the carport. When the mail man comes he just gets up and stretches and slowly walks over to him with his tail a waggin wanting to be petted. Ours are like the guys above. Not dangerous though if the kids sat on them when they were younger they would get up and the kids would fall off but then they would kiss them if they cried. If you yell at them they come crawling to you and will get on their backs wanting a rub. I agree some are dangerous but we have been lucky that ours are not. The youngest one sits on the bench with his feet on my brohters leg when he has to go to the vet. He hates going but he just sits there next to my brother very well behaved not carrying about the other dogs or cats. He has to get a shot every month because he is allergic to grass. Imagine that.

It’s all training and/or the way they were raised… same with any dog. The only difference is some dogs (pits, rottys, etc) are more capable of doing real damage if there is an incident, hence the constant news articles. If there was an alert on Yahoo News every time a chihuahua bit someone, we’d never see any other news. 😛

I have 3 dogs, one of which is a pit, and he is the biggest lap-dog spoiled little cuddle monster you’ll ever meet. I joke all the time that someone could break in and be stabbing me in the face and he’d just walk up and want to give the guy kisses. haha

My friends cute half bred let me pet it for a long time. then I was going to give it a big hug and it nearly bit my face off. I have never hurt a dog in my life. So, it was not me . Thank God I wear glasses atleast I still have my eyes.!

Going for the big hug was your mistake that the dog reacted to. Any footage I have seen of a dog suddenly biting someone (reporter interviewing person with dog, usually) was when they put their face right in the dogs face plus/minus hugging. That action mimics another dog trying to dominate them, and some won’t put up with it.

The problem is these dogs are temperamental. At any time, what ever the mood, if irritated can cause these dogs to snap. And once that grip gets hold, its a vice. The only thing, that I’ve found to unlock its grip is a lighter to it’s tail..

Edgar, you obviously do not know what you are talking about … I have always been fearful of pits, but am seeing they can be very good dogs…

Was at Wal Mart one day, and a guy had a pit by his side (service dog). That pit bull was the sweetest thing ….. just loving, tranquil ..

So, it would be best to find out what you are talking about before you voice an opinion…. Many of these responses are 1000% against you .. That should open your eyes somewhat as to the error of your thinking.

A comment typical of an ignorant, prejudiced person, using “all” to describe any group, behavior, or condition in spite of numerous instances demonstrating the contrary. ANY improperly raised dog can become dangerous. I have spoken with several veterinarians as to what dog breeds have bitten them during examination or treatment, and almost every other breed EXCEPT pit bull was mentioned.

Not true. Not ALL Pit Bulls turn on their families. Depends on the person that raises the Pit Bull. My awesome chalant Pit Bull (Esea) never attacked any family member in his 13 years of life. He was awesome with my little guy when he was born. As a matter of FACT, Pit Bulls are meant to be Nannies since back in the day. It’s all up on how the Pit Bull is raised. Pit Bulls are very Lovable.

ONE LESS EDGAR MIGHT BE BETTER !!!! I have a pit bull and he thinks he is a poodle. Any dog will turn on people if provoked or hurt and you don’t know it is and you happen to touch that spot or just old and cranky LIKE YOU !!! Little dogs scare me more then any pit I have ever met.

Yea, any dog can turn on you but few are as lethal as pit bulls. Huge difference between a nip on the hand or leg and getting held down and mauled to death. Keep your pits. But keep them away from me and the people I care about.

That is one of the most inaccurate statements i have ever heard. BUT i would never let my child be around my dog like that. It only takes one little nip to destroy as small child’s face, eye or anything. I do not think that is very responsible. At the end of the day a dog is still an animal and all it may take is the child to poke the dogs eye by mistake for it to do a quick snip to permiantly disfigure the child. But the fact that you think ALL of these dogs always turn on their owners at some point is hilarious that you believe that. You have to be trolling. No one can be that ignorant.

You must be an idiot like everyone is saying it’s the owner not the breed I’ve always owned a pitbull and not once has it ever attacked my son my pitbull thinks he is a lap dog the most loving dog I have ever had my Chihuahua is more aggressive than my pit bull pitbulls have a high tolerance for pain my son punches my dog kicks him and tries to ride him like a horse of course I get on to him for doing that but my dog has never and will never attack my son it all depends on how you raise your animals if I knew where you lived I would bring my pitbull to you to bite your ass for being such an idiot the only problem is my pitbull is not aggressive but I am towards people who are prejudiced against pit bulls

You must be an idiot like everyone is saying it’s the owner not the breed I’ve always owned a pitbull and not once has it ever attacked my son my pitbull thinks he is a lap dog the most loving dog I have ever had my Chihuahua is more aggressive than my pit bull pitbulls have a high tolerance for pain my son is always playing rough and tries to ride him like a horse of course I get on to him for doing that but my dog has never and will never attack my son it all depends on how you raise your animals if I knew where you lived I would bring my pitbull to you to bite your ass for being such an idiot the only problem is my pitbull is not aggressive but I am towards people who are prejudiced against pit bulls that’s like judging someone by the color of their skin or race you can’t judge an animal because of its breed and if you did your research most animal attacks are done by other breeds not pitbulls when I guess it’s pointless telling you that because you can’t fix stupid and stupid you are why don’t you go educate yourself you f****** moron

@Edgar that is just such a bull crap statement! I have had 3 pits. My first one someone trespassed onto my property where Sammy was on a chain in his fenced back yard and bashed his head in. The second one passed from a blood clot he got from getting kicked by a horse while “protecting” my niece. The third one I still have and he wouldn’t hurt a flea! Keep your uneducated comments to yourself. People like you and people that fight them should be put down not the dogs!

Would feel good if your baby or child was bite or killed by a pitbull or another dog that you keep around your little child? Who’s fault is it if the dog hurts or kills the child when you don’t want this? The law states this is child abuse of the parents.

Unless there’s actual research or documented evidence to back it up, (as in, “Eventually, all living things die.”), a blanket assertion like the one you made demonstrates a lack of critical thinking skills, leading anyone with those skills to immediately discount your remarks.

Wow, the level of ignorance in that simple minded post is truly astounding. Not a shred of factual data to back it up (because there is none) and it’s just a flat out lie. The use of the word “all” is a dead give away.

you mustn’t have had a good experience have you? all animals just want to be loved and if they don’t receive it they may turn bitter just like us humans honestly we are worse than the animals cause while we hurt for no purpose animals hurt to defend themselves its part of nature, just like how some plants hurt you. It’s unbelievable how anyone can poison an animal and kill it with no remorse we hoomans are really something else…im sorry you’re so ignorant

I rescued one from the ASPCA and it was one of the best dogs I have ever owned in over 40 years. Samson was a baby and loved people and our cats. They do not turn on innocents unless trained to be that way

Edgar, I had an argentinian dogo(serch it if you do not know what breed it is), it is a serial killer breed pretty much. The are taken to hunt those bigs jabali pigs, and for the one I had, I knew just one person the former owner was allowed to feed her(she will kill anybody else). Eventually the owner could not have her anymore and , gave it to my dad. We came back home one night, and the dog was on a leash inside my garage haha, Imagine, we could barely get into the house, little by little my dad tried to get closer and by feeding her and petting her, she became the sweetest dog ever. Kids would crawl around and on top of her. She never hurt anyone and she was loose on the neighborhood streets. The reason I tell you the story, is because I believe any dog can be good or bad, and by knowing this dog before and after, I can tell you that a dog can change, and depends on the treatment the owner gives them.

You’re an idiot. Beautiful story, beautiful breed. I’ve had 7 pitbulls over the last 14 years. Not a single incident. Have had other dogs, lots of strangers, and numerous babies and children around. NEVER so much as a growl or issue. I wish you’d come to Texas and visit me. I’ll meet you anywhere you’d like.

What an ignorant remark. ALL animals have the instinct to bite or scratch, it’s a defense mechanism. Those animals that are vicious are bred that way not born that way. Same thing with people and hate. We’re not born with hate, it’s taught. Not that it would matter now, but go learn about pit bulls, they are some of the most gentle breed of dog there is, they have been given a bad wrap because they have been taught to fight and be aggressive. A golden retriever could be taught the same thing, any breed of animal can be taught that, are you then going to think the same ignorance as you do pit bulls? Yes, I’m sure you would. You are a prime example of why some people should not be pet owners.

I am no Dog whisperer, I am just someone who has been fortunate enough to have been around dogs for all my life. From my own, to when I was stationed in Japan and lived on base, to the current.

I have seen Chihuahas and little ones psychotic to the point that I couldn’t trust any small ones as it was all I knew. Then, finally the wife and kids convinced me to give a little one(our Malteese) a try. Have not looked back one minute, he is my 5 pound buddy.

Ironically, since getting him my eyes have been opened that not only is he a little sweetie, but I have seen tons of little ones who where exceptionally sweet, loving and good natured, INCLUDING a number of Chi’s.

I closed my mind for many years to small dogs because all I had scene and new was a result of idiot owners. In many ways this is the exact same thing which has been done to Pitt’s. Ironically there are two dogs I have come accross in my life which I honestly question if they have what it takes to attack, much less defend family.

One is a Burneese Mountain Dog(ironically named after a famous Steven King book) the other is a Blue Nose Pitt who litterally loves everyone and everything, plus gets bullied by their other dog terribly(an Australian Sheppherd). She litterally bites on and chases him, until finally he has enough give a little growl pins her and walks away. Then 20 minutes later, repeat….

Plus, my little Fuzzball has had %100 accuracy in knowing which dogs are or are not a threat. If he wants to go say hi there is nothing to worry about. Hell, numerous times there have been owners who where stunned as their pooch never likes other dogs but lives mine. A number of his buddies are in fact Pitts, German Sheppards, etc. Ironically he tends to avoid the small medium sized more then any other.

Sure breeding can have a part, but only to a point. I wish I could find the link, but it was either Detroit or maybe Cleveland(one of the two) where a local news station did an in depth study on what was common in every single unprovoked Pitt atack the city had over long period(may have been 10 or more years). I think the number was in the range of 150 or more.

The common factor was that in each case the owners had CONVICTIONS for drug, violence, spousal and child abuse.

That is the most ignorant comment I’ve ever seen. My sister has a pit who is the most loving dog in the world. She has 3 boys, and they play with her, sometimes not nicely (as they were very young growing up with her) and she has never so much as nipped at them even once. The worst she has ever done is wag her tail too hard and hit them with it.

Well, eventually people like you get their head out of their asses and become educated about this incredible breed first hand and become the strongest advocates. I’ve owned 5 pits in he last 35 years and the only thing they have ever killed is the ignorance and dislike of people like yourself because of not knowing them. The example my dogs have been to many people has turned them into pit lovers and have saved many from shelters themselves. So stop being afraid and ignorant. Oh yeah, but they have killed rats. smile

Pit-bulls eventually kill the child they adore. They are meant for the wild and not for a home. 70% of fatal dog attacks are by pitbulls. Not worth the risk. Just goggle pit bull attacks on children and see the horror that would spring up.

i fully agree pitts are not dangerous its the owners of the miss treated ones that are not bad i had 5 pitts in my live all been great dogs one just passed a little over a year ago had for 13 years was the best friend i ever had were ever i went he was right by my side he was beaten by previos owner so bad that he would not play with my other pitt or make a noise for over 5 years how can some say that all pitts are bad when it is us the stupid humans that mistreat them and make them fight each other i would leave my pitts with any kid in my family and inclulding my year and half neice and by the way must dog bite in the usa were from poddles and smaller dogs and the beloved golden reteviers not pitts

Generally, Dogs are the most loving of all animals. They recognized their owners from very far distance and are always on the look out to protect their owners and such acts of protection extent to the children of such an owner. This am saying from experience with my own dogs. I will always love dogs any where i am as long as it is within the laws of such place i find myself.

These people just don’t get it. Pit bulls really are caring and nurturing and very loyal… until they’re not. You never know if or when a pit bull is going to turn. That’s the problem; it may never. But if it does, you’ll be saying something like, “but it was so caring and nurturing and loyal and tolerant”. But you’ll be saying that as they carry away the shredded meat that once was your child. How do I know this? Because that’s what EVERYBODY says after their child is torn to shreds.

Animals are like children if you treat them with love they will love in return if you treat them with cruelty that is what they will show i have 6 dogs of all different breeds and there is not 1 of them that would not protect me with their as i would for them. As for the sicko neighbors who poisoned the pitbull I do believe in Karma and what you give you will get back eventually they will get whats coming to them for what they did

stupid article for stupid people. that is what they all say. how cute and then the dog eats the face off. professional breeder of dogs. This really is a stupid thing to do. hope your kid doesnt have his face eaten off or worse dead. good luck with that. Can we change the name to stupid owners. know the breed. most of the people buying these types of dogs are white trash and 85 percent pit bulls in animal shelter. lets stop encouraging stupid people to do stupid things.

My wife and I were babysitting our wonderful 7 month old grandchild. my daughter and son-in-law have a very friendly,obedient yellow lab While we were playing with my grandson,the yellow lab lunged towards our grandson and bit his face. fortunately,the bite just missed the eye,but he needed stitches,and will most likely have a scar for the rest of his life. This dog had never acted aggressively towards anyone. I think the dog was so used to having all the attention,and when the baby came along,he know longer got all the love,and he got jealous and attacked the object of his jealousy. The moral of the story: ANY DOG,no matter the breed, can get aggressive, and should never be allowed to get to close to babies or small children. We now keep the dog separated from any small child. A very difficult lesson to learn. Be careful dog owners with little ones!

This story had me in tears. I don’t understand how people can be so heartless as to poison or abuse ANY animal just for the “fun” of it. They are sick and I hope and pray they were prosecuted for their heinous crime. That poor little girl. It is just so sad. Dogs are so amazing. The fact the other dog knew, just KNEW what she needed and provided it is simply amazing. This family was blessed with two awesome dogs. God Bless them all!

I don’t recall ever reading any stories of dogs killing people except from German Shephard’s, Rottweiler’s and Pitbull’s being the most by far. Not once, ever did I read that a Toy Poodle ripped the arm off our a child or grown man. Fact is, Pitbulls are a strong bite breed and once they do attack, your average child, woman or man is likely going to struggle to fend without getting serious wounds. I saw someone petting their Pitbull of 8 years saying all the same things, about the pitbulls are great dogs, it’s the owners. This dog ripped the face off of her owner because she was trying to kiss her. I thought to myself, “Yup. You’re an idiot!” Own larger aggressive dogs at your own risk but don’t risk others please.

Oh myngod, I didntbget half way through the storey and I was bawling like a baby not to mention I just had my son (rottweiler) stolen from me by my soon to be exhusband this week. Thank you for sharing made me realize hiw much we love our animals like we love our children

I’m not sure what I would do to those a-hole kids that poisoned your dog if it were me. I know what I would WANT to do… what they DESERVE… would just likely land me in jail. You have the patience of a saint.

EXACTLY! How can you NOT just head stomp them to a curb for 40 minutes or so. I am SOOOOOO mad at them for what they did to this families dog that I MYSELF would put them in a coma if I had access to them…. and I don’t even know the family! Gaaa!, I’m just devastated!

In theory bad things could happen with every dog. Even a Yorkie. And I’d dare say that the dogs never got properly introduced to the kid if they do something like that. The first two dogs I had in my life didn’t like kids. And when I was born the first was 13 and blind and deaf. So he could have bitten me many times when I hugged him or pet him but he didn’t. The second dog also grew up not liking other kids but I always played with his ears and put clothespins in them even when we were alone in a room and he just lay there and accepted it because he knew he wasn’t allowed to go against me and that my position in the pack was higher than his. That’s what most people forget. The dogs need to know that the kids also are their alphas.

I have always had a fer of bit bull dogs. My son got a bit she was the sweetest thing. my son had to have her put done. He had her cremated and she now sit on his shelf. I now find myself taking care of a beautiful Pit Bull named SKY. I have three great grandchildren one is eight and the other two are under two.year old. I would leave them anytime and not worry Its how you treet them when you get them, That makes all the difference.

before pit bulls were put down by people, they wanted all german shepards to be put down! these people (savages) that fight pit’s should be put down. A LONGG TIME IN PRISON), we are working on that. 5 children, we had a chesapeake bay retriever No one bothered us.

This reminded my about my own dog. He would sleep next to me with a blanket on the floor. Whenever I stayed home and wife went to work, he would jump into bed and sleep with me. When watching TV in the living room he would accompany me to bed every night except for the last day. He could not see very well and he was left behind in the hallway. When I heard he wasn’t following I guided him with my voice into the room. Once in the room he went to the wrong side of the bed. When I hugged him to turn him around, that’s when he took his last breath. I felt so bad and sad that I dragged him to his blanket and stayed with him for a while.

Dogs are not a wild animal. They are not in ecological balance with any ecosystem. They been domesticated by humans to fit their desires and needs. Pit bulls are one such example for very very bad domestication process, they are aggressive and dangerous. And they don’t have the features of wild animal at all, they look like an abomination.

Personally, I like all wild animals. I used to like cats and dogs but their effect on nature is devastating (combined they kill more than 8 billion wild animals / year and consist one of the leading reasons for present day man made mass extinction). I still like cats, but as for dogs-I only like these breeds which lack aggression.

Gee anonymous….you must have an absolutely miserable life. Just worrying about all those lions and tigers and bears that eat other animals and crap in your pristine woods is enough to make you pull your hair out! I can’t help but wonder if you worry about the 55 million abortions that have taken place.

Quoting Anonymous: “Dogs are not a wild animal. They are not in ecological balance with any ecosystem. They been domesticated by humans to fit their desires and needs. Pit bulls are one such example for very very bad domestication process, they are aggressive and dangerous. And they don’t have the features of wild animal at all, they look like an abomination.”

So you also agree that it’s an abomination that ants farm aphids for food? Look it up. Ants keep and herd aphids to feed off their bodily fluids. .

And if you think that doesn’t result in change and modification of the genetic line of the aphids that benefit from this, I have a bridge to sell you.

Sorry, nothing unnatural about domestication, and even if it were, why would you blame and dislike the animal for something beyond it’s control? That’s actually frankly the most irrational thing I’ve read in a long time. By your logic we should kill all abused children because their behavior is abnormal due to events beyond their control.

The fact is that little rat dogs like chihuahuas are much more aggressive than most breed, just because those little rodents can’t cause much harm because their size doesnt meant they are not bad dogs. Pitts gets the bad rap because of bad owners. I’ve never owned anything but pitts and they are the sweetest dogs you could ever cross paths with. My current one, a 45lb female would net hurt a fly.. well, take aside squirrels lol

Yes this does happen, however this happens with any breed of dog… Just yesterday a 4 month old baby’s face was completely mangled by a German Shepard. So are is that breed all bad also. Research the Pit Bull. People need to know what they are speaking of before judging . I hope people enjoy what they find out about the Pit Bull. THEY WERE NOT CREATED TO FIGHT

These dogs were nanny dogs. I have a PIT and he is like my child. This breed of dog is the sweetest and smartest dog you will ever own. They love BIG! I too was skeptical about them because of what i saw and heard from the media . I would be devastated if anything happens to him . I feel so bad for the little girl. That was such a cruel act and the individual should be prosecuted.

Charles Manson was somebody’s child. Hitler was someone’s child. Got it? There are good and bad dogs regardless of breed. Unfortunately in the case of pit bulls, they are often associated with gangstas and hoodlums.

Thank you Tracy. Pitbulls are nanny dogs and about the nicest animals I have ever met. I have my second now, my first was just thrown out by my neighbor because she was to ignorant to handle him. She was too lazy to potty train the dog and thought hitting him was work. When I took him he cowered at everything. He got past his fear and loved everyone and just wanted to be friends with everyone. People who hate Pitts are ignorant. Hate the owners not the dog.

You are corrected, they were bred to bait bulls in the pit. They were also bred to be mean in the fighting ring, but gentle around humans. However, even the smallest dog when raised improperly can be a lethal weapon.

Yes, they are powerful beasts, but so is a car. With proper training a car will never harm a person or another thing, but if the person doesn’t have good handling skills is when people get hurt by cars. it’s the same damn thing with dogs in general.

In-fact, I’m currently training my new baby Pitbull. I will admit, the breed is ‘bitey,’ meaning that they like to put their mouth on everything to see what it is. This is something that’s trained out of them. They are powerful dogs who use their weight and jaw to their advantage… this is trained out of them.

They are the most obedient dogs, because they want to please their masters

Something to note: Pitbull RARELY attack humans, unless they’re forced to. Pit-bulls absolutely adore humans. They were bred so that a human could walk into the middle of a vicious fight and not be intentionally bit by the dog.

BUT:: I will point out the biggest thing here. I live in a border town…. Pit-bulls are extremely popular with the Hispanic {particularly gang related] part of town. THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO CLUE WHAT THE FUCK THEY ARE DOING, *JULIO*! SO, *JULIO* if your interactions with aforementioned dog; I assume you were in the south section of a border town. Where they allow their dogs to roam the fucking streets with no collar and unleashed, after they escape a yard with 50+ broken down cars and garbage strewn across their yards. Where it’s common place to hear gun fire (which scares the dogs). In a place where the people who are raising them CUT OFF THEIR EARS AND TAILS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF FIGHTING THEM! JULIO!

Sorry for the long response. I love these dogs and I know how much they love people. They won’t attack dogs, but are inclined to protect you. So it’s usually when another dog acts up and lunges at it or it’s owner that a Pit-bull will attack… and when they do, they are very powerful. They were bred to fight Bulls and Bears that were tied up in an arena.

the most dangerous breed of dog on the planet, bar none. 3/4 of all fatal attacks on humans are perpetrated by pitbulls and it doesn’t matter how they are trained, they were carefully bred to attack and to kill.

so many children torn to pieces, their faces shredded by pitbulls… it’s a terrible, terrible thing

Pit bulls are only as bad as their owners. If they are poorly trained, they’ll behave poorly. And that goes for ANY dog. I think Pit Bulls get a bad rap because of the type of people that tend to be their owners – if these same owners had golden retrievers, you’d see them in the news too.

Pit Bulls are the only types of dogs discriminated against. People fail to understand that Pit Bulls have such a wide variety, being a very popular dog with no set standards. This results in dogs being over bred, inbred, etc. Temperament varies because of this. People are ignorant and instead of educating themselves and helping prevent vicious, innocent, inbred, miserable dogs like the ones that attacked yours, attacking others, they try to ban an amazing bred just because some of them, not even a large number in comparison to how many pit bulls are actually out there, turn out bad. Bad people like pit bulls and the poor dog is that last one that should be blamed. I find it sad the media knows they can make money off “pit bull” attacks by not covering attacks from other breeds or even calling a dog a pit bull when, in fact, it is not. You know what the most vicious dog is with the most attacks? Chihuahuas. Just because they are too small to do real damage doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to stop people from breeding aggressive dogs and attributing to the problem.

Don’t judge all in one breed by the actions of the ones with bad owners. I had a dog who was attacked and killed by a chow and a lab dog that the owners let wander. But my aunt had a chow who was the most loving dog ever. You cant judge them all by those with bad owners or owners who are teaching them to be aggressive or making them aggressive by neglecting them.

36 people died a horrible death in 2014. 32 were murdered by the “most loving dogs” pitt bulls. Locally a 100 yr old lady was killed by her neighbors pit bull. I am quite sure she was asking to be killed. Facts are that the majority of those murdered are 5 yrs and under. This breed was bred as a fighting dog. Its in there genetic make up. I have seen so many qwotes from pit lovers after there dog killed someone “he was just the sweetest dog, wouldnt harm a flee”. Until he snapped and killed his 3 yr old daughter. Run from this breed. The should be banned and are in a lot of cities. They are walking killers.

Ur n idiot leaving nasty comments were people talking about kids getting killed by these dogs they r a bad breed one also bit my 3 yr old daughter on her face for no reason was my neighbor dog I would love to just smack you y would u ever put an animal over a human life instead of all ur nasty stupid comments maybe u need to go find out y u value a dog life more than a human some were small children n babies n old people get ur head out of ur azz u witch and try to find ur mind they r very dangerous dogs guess u might feel different when one maules you or some child in ur family u heartless witch people like u make me sick leaving comments like u did when people were talking about babies n children being killed I am a dog lover but I would never put an animal over someone life u rude evil nasty witch n I hope they way I wrote this lights a flame under ur azz sine ur also the grammar police I hope karma takes a bite out of ur azz

So often you hear/read: Yet another pitbull kills a child -> pitbull put down as a result. Shame on us for letting the breed continue and shame on the pitbull owners. They’re responsible too! The courts should order them to pay restitution to the victim’s families and/or spend time in jail.

Would you put your child, which often means more to you than anything in the world, at risk with a pitbull or any dog for that matter? All you pitbull lovers may say yes but won’t you be sorry when that one oddball day comes and you lose a child! Blame your vicious dog and yourself.

Unfortunately breeds like pit bull terriers, Rottweilers, German shepherds, boxers etc are favored by those that don’t raise dogs properly (socializing, adequate exercise, etc) is because they are bigger and tend to be more muscly. Any dog can be trained to be guard dogs or fighters; larger and stronger breeds are just better at it.

I also have 3 dogs, a pit/lab mix, what we think is a Canaan dog but is definitely a tripod, and a dachshund. My dachshund is the meanest of all three and I have witnessed him getting after the pit/lab mix and him running outside to get away. Don’t underestimate those doxies!

1st point: This was an awesome story! The family (especially the daughter) lost a truly special guardian/companion. It would be awesome if there were more stories like this to balance all of the blood bath stories.

2nd: Most on this forum would agree that for any dog breed, there is not one that is 100% harmless or 100% dangerous.

3rd and final point: As the parent of a small kid – would you be more worried if your kid was walking alone and crossed paths with a group of stray pit bulls or a group of stray dachshuds? Just saying

100% agree with your statement. Dogs are the NOT the problem, no matter the breed, unless inbreeding occurs which is another issue. People are the problem. I was raised with Golden Retrievers, but in my early 30s I did my research and got a Rottweiler. He was the most amazing dog I have ever had. Gentle, kind, smart, and socialized with with people, children, dogs, and cats.

If you don’t take the take to raise a dog correctly, they can become a problem….it’s the SAME concept as with people. Neglect and abuse helps no one.

No, they aren’t “all ticking time bombs”. Some of them are sweethearts. But enough of ’em *are* ticking time bombs to give the entire breed a deservedly bad reputation. If you intentionally try to breed hair-triggered killing machines -as thousands of dog-fighting breeders have done for so long- it’s not surprising that you’re going to get a lot of hair-triggered killing machines that enjoy their work; just as Border collies enjoy herding sheep.

Sweet story, all dogs have the potential in being protectors and exhibit kind qualities…It feels more like a gamble when one has a pit bull… or some sort of rescue with pitbull in it. My friend had something like white highland terrior. They had a rental next store rented by a woman who said she had a dog, but used the name Staffordshire Terrier or something… they never saw it and didn’t think much of it. The rental person was away and had a dog walker who got locked out and had to go to my friends house to get a key.. with of course, the pit bull… my friend opens the door, his little white dog, trying to protect his master, barked, this pit bull attacked, clamped his strong jaws dog and would let go… even as my friend tried to punch it in the head. The pit bull let go after the little white dog was dead….all dogs will tussle and bark, its natural… but it didn’t surprise me this pit bull killed their dog… and more likely a pit bull will act like this. at least to me. Try googling Pitbull killed baby or something like that and see all the news stories

Try googling your an idiot, I bet your name would be right there. You are just like the other idiots who base their opinions on news stories. It’s how they are raised, killing isn’t in their “blood” lol wow.

The catch about googling “Pit Bull attacks…” is that most “Experts” are lousy at determining which dog is a Pit Bull. I have read news articles that have identified akitas, labs, mastiffs and even hounds and once a cocker spaniel mix as “Pit bulls”.

There is the self fulfilling prophesy that Pit Bulls attack, so attackers must be Pit Bulls.

As a veterinarian in my day job, I have been bitten most commonly by beagles and “Shepard or Shepard mixed” dogs, with special consideration to cockers, lhasas, bichons, labs and pekinese.

The 2 dogs that tried to kill me were Rotties (Throat lunges).

I would trust a Pit Bull much more easily than most breeds, they are easy to read and assuming that no one went out of their way to “break them” they will tell you if they are close to losing it.

Unfortunately Pit Bulls are attractive to pathologically violent people, and as such there are some that are pathologically violent. Those dogs are dangerous and should be put down. But for crying out loud, Ted Bundy and Jeffery Dahmer were both Western Europeans and we don’t advocate killing all Caucasians.

Think before you get a dog, and then judge the dog on it’s individual merits. If you feel overwhelmed or under informed consult a CAPDT certified trainer or an animal behaviorist with a REAL PHD to evaluate them.

Jeff you say that you can google pitbull attacks baby and use that as reasoning as why a pitbull is agressive. You can also google white cop kills black man and come up with hundreds of stories. But the majority of white cops do not kill black men. Just because you can google and see all the stories doesnt mean its the majority.

It’s just like everyday news…….the horror stories make the news. Good stuff NEVER does. Same with pitbulls. You NEVER hear the good stuff they do..it’s always the horror stories. We have had three pits and they were all sweethearts. Absolutely the lovingest dogs ever. Also had a dachshund and German shepherd at the same time and they were also darlings. It’s all in the way they are raised. BTW, I like to say that my Dachshund and German Shepherd raised my three boys. My boys were all babies and they grew up with these two dogs. As for aggression issues, NONE of these dogs ever showed any and they loved their human children.

It never ceases to amaze me how ignorant people are about pitbulls. Seriously, try being around some instead of believing every fourth-hand horror story you hear. I used to volunteer in two shelters that were full of pitbulls and pitbull mixes for two years. I am 5’2″ 115 pounds, and my duties included walking all of the dogs, helping to socialize and train them, feeding them, and keeping their kennels clean. I was never attacked or mauled by ANY of them. More often than not, they were the most fun-loving, affectionate dogs there. The worst things that ever happened to me was when one small female smacked me on the chin with her big ole forehead while trying to play, and when one large male beat me with his tail while trying to lick my face. Sometimes they dragged me around when we were walking and they spotted something interesting.

The only time I was actually afraid of getting hurt was the one time I was feeding a golden retriever, who went nuts and tried to attack me. He was eventually put down after he severely attacked another high-level volunteer.

No, they start out innocent until some evil human takes them and turns them into a killing machine. My daughter has a smaller pit bull, given name is “American Staffordshire Terrier”. Her name is “Dora” and she is the sweetest girl. I love her dearly. She plays very energentically, fast and furious, but is the love of my life. I can’t have a dog at the apartment unit I live in. Any dog can become agressive depending on their treatment.

I have 2 pits at home. I had so many people ask me before I brought my son home wasn’t I worried about bringing him home with pits in the home. I said no, I trust my pits before I trust most people. The only thing vicious about them is their farts.

They are the kindest sweetest dogs there is… It’s humans that have ruined this breed… We need to turn it around ASAP and teach people the true nature of these gorgeous dogs… Raised in the right hands they are kinder than Labradors!

it’s the locking of their freakishly strong jaws that are a concern when they revert back to animal instincts… all dog can potentially attack and be mistreated… I would take my chances with a lab, even one that is a rescue…. versus a pit bull. Pitbulls, bred to fight, Labradors bred to retrieve and soft bite on what they are retrieving for their master. Makes more sense not go with the… hope it doesn’t turn out to be killing machine type dog…

MYTH: Pit Bulls have locking jaws. Reality: Pit Bulls do not have any special physical mechanism or enzyme that allows them to “lock” their jaws. If you compare a Pit Bull skull to a skull of any other dog breed, you can see with the naked eye that both skulls share the same characteristics and general bone structure. However, one personality trait of the Pit Bull breed is determination. Whatever Pit Bulls do, they do it with a great deal of enthusiasm, and it is this trait that can make it seem like they have a locking jaw when they bite down on something and are determined not to release it.

I have a australian sheparderd that can out pull my pit in a tug of war with a rope toy ect. the pit allways turns loose first..lol..

the pit is my 6 year old granddaughters best friend and playmate, and the sweetest dog you could ask for.. we have 3 horses, a lamma, 10 goats, 3 dogs, a cat, and 30 chickens. the pit is the best behaved critter on the farm.. the worst is the 7 pound chihuahua she will bite if she don’t know you..

BKH…LMAO!!! We have 6 horses, 25 or so chickens, 4 cats, and 5 dogs (2 pitbull/husky/lab mixes, an Australian sheppard, a Great Pyrenees/lab mix, and a pug/Chihuahua mix). The “Chug” is the one who barks more agressively and starts more crap than any of them, too!

Do some research – the “locking jaws” thing is a myth that has been proven false over and over again.

Pitbulls were originally known as “nanny dogs” and were bred to protect children in the nursery. It’s only recently that people decided to turn them into fighting dogs, and they were chosen not just for their strength and protective instincts, but because they love their owners so much, they are willing to get hurt and even die to make their owners happy.

i think the woman needs to go to jail or get a psyche evaluation. you never leave a newborn with a damn animal. Animals even attack their own animals. why should she leave them with a dog. Dangerous dogs think on killing even if they didn’t or haven’t got caught.

Really? You do realize that God did not create dogs, correct? Man has taken wild animals ( as in wolves) and inbred/crossbred them in order to come up with every breed of dog we know today. There is always the chance of an animal reverting back to the basic instincts of the wild. (killing) This trait will always remain and can not be bred out.

Common sense should always be used when it comes to any animal and small children.

As far as “God’s best creation,” that would be Christ Jesus, son of God, born to man.

default instinct is survival, not “killing”. If the animal is well taken care of then it’s survival instinct is sated. If you haven’t properly socialized, exercised, fed, or mentally stimulated the animal; then you have the chance of negative territoral behavior.

Every pit bull attack is followed with “but he was the sweetest dog. He never hurt anyone before.” I realize not all pit bulls will hurt someone, but how can you tell the difference? You can’t. My son, at age 7, was attacked by the ‘sweetest pit bull’ ever. Keep your eye on your child.

EXACTLY! They can snap last minute. I had another family friend that lost half a finger because a “super sweet and the most friendly dog in the world” pitbull who had supposedly “never snapped” before grabbed ahold of his hand when he reached out and wouldn’t let go for over 5 minutes, my friend says it was the scariest thing that has ever happened to him and it tore his middle finger half off as well as part of his index. So yea, Pitbulls can be very sweet and VERY UNPREDICTABLE!

You’re right. Keep an eye on your kid. What was your kid doing that the dog didn’t like? Don’t leave out important details like the average media report.

I”ve dealt with hundreds of dogs of all breeds, mixes, and sizes and none of them have ever gone after anyone or anything without the target doing something the dog didn’t like and not without any sort of a warning.

We had one guy threaten to sue us because our first dog was barking and snarling at him “preparing to attack him for no reason”. Guy didn’t know I had watched him from the window while he pelted my dog with rocks from the road. My last dog came from a bad situation via a shelter. If you were guy who was big and/or loud she would have a go at you (her warning: tail tucking). Chances are the bad situation she came from was created by a large loud male human. A neighbor had a dog that was missing a paw and if you touched that leg she would try to bite you (her warning: a growl as soon as you touched that hip). Same neighbor took up basic training of puppies meant to become seeing-eye dogs after losing the dog with the missing paw. She ended up having to keep one because not only was he so food aggressive he had to be fed alone in a separate room but he hated having his tail touched. Try to take his food or touch his tail and he would try to bite you (his warning: snarling and violent snapping).

Balute, so what did your kid do to aggravate the dog? Pitbulls are far more loving than chihuahuas! I have lived next door to two huge, teddy bear dogs called “pitbulls” and while I started out terrified I very quickly learned that these are sweet, loving animals. The youngest had been abused and he scared me the most, but once he learned that I wanted to be kind to him, he suddenly started laying his head on my leg so I would stroke his ears and talk to him. The older one will sit in the window and bark at me until I holler “Hi big pup!” and acknowledge him. Pits are as vicious as you make them- only in your own eyes. My 5 year old grandson has been around these dogs since his birth, and the owner’s 3 year old son steps between the pits when they have a spat, telling them they’re “bad dogs”. Not once, ever, would they harm a child by their own choice. If these two dogs attacked I’d know someone aggravated them to the point of attacking.

I could mention all dogs are animals first before family member or babies and can turn on the drop of a hat. I could mention that some breeds were selectively breed for aggression, so are genetically pre-disposed to aggression. That peoples whose dogs harms children and adults likely thought their dog would not harm anyone. Or if you’ve not been attacked by a dog or sized up by one you won’t undrstand. What i really want to mention is you ruined your owe argument on these breeds by the word routinely, not once in a blue moon. Routinely because every year people are harmed by dogs.

“Every day people are harmed by dogs.” Yes, and every day, dogs are abused by humans in countless ways. Do those humans become “poster people” for animal abuse? Generally not. Such people just continue their serial abuse (and worse), especially when no one else is looking. Exception: dogfighting aficionados, who charge money for this “spectator sport” and train dogs to kill each other. This pleases only those who enjoy blood sport and torture, not to mention the “disasters of war.” Perhaps humanity should be condemned for enjoying all such activities– or simply looking the other way. Too generalized? Well, so is the previous commentator’s quotation that inspired my comment..

I have a pit bull for a grand baby 😀 we raised him since he was 2 weeks old and he’s now a year old. He is the smartest and best dog we have ever had. And he is so well mannered I’m just amazed. If course he gets ornery, because he is a young dog, but he never ever hurts anyone and he always shows nana so much love when he visits! We have other dogs and he is great around them!

Lived w/dogs when child. Apts. since, no dogs. But…had a mutt when a kid that was the neighborhood dog. Kept kids off street. Allowed sticks to be poked at him, tail pulling, went to everyone’s house for treats (we lived on cul-de-sac and before leash laws). He just moved on when it was time to let kids know enough. Adopted by all on street as our ‘street pet’. Great for those that had allergies, he visited, they pet and then he came home. Only thing he was afraid of was being ‘tied/gated/’stuck’ ‘. He was a free-range animal. And thunderstorms (the ONLY time he would come inside house). Collie/beagle/+?.

It’s all the love we shared and he had.. If human is ‘trained’ how to behave, dog will be best. Rarely is a dog born with a will to harm or hurt just because. Humans on the other hand….well, just watch news/read your papers.

People will jump at you when you wake them, when you hurt them, when you are cruel or stupid with them. If you don’t think an ‘animal’ (oh yeah people, you are actually in the same ‘animal’ family/species–we’re called mammals(sp)!). Dogs are great. I just wish I had the chance to have a dog, but have been cat owner for many years. Stay strong and luv your dogs (any/all types/kinds) and they will show their love back to you. They can all be protectors if you let them be.

I had my own run-in with a pitbull when I was 5 yrs old. It lunged at me but my dog jumped in the way and had her neck torn out right in front of me, with that said. I know the dog wasn’t to blame but whoever raised him. It’s not the breed! Don’t blame an entire breed of dog for how it’s human has raised a few. These dogs are beautiful, and can be just as kind and gentle as any other breed as this story shows. Beautiful story though tear jerking outcome!

While this is a sweet story, it’s not unusual for pit bulls to treat their own family members well, while they attack viciously and without warning strangers who happen to cross their path and mean them no harm. Therein lies the problem! Do be mislead by this story.

That is all well and good. But I might invite you to try to mow my backyard sometime. A female pit belonging to my neighbor attempts to jump my 4′ high chain link fence to get to me. Perhaps they are victims of crappy owners, but how are we the public supposed to know and defend against dogs like that?? I now mow my yard with a handgun because I fear that one day the dog will make it over the fence. Local animal control is so lackadaisical about the whole thing. I can no longer allow my little granddaughter to go back there. Were something to happen to her by that dog, both it and the owner would die the same day……just saying.

All I can say is Wow… I would of felt like the father, worrying about the dog hurting my children. Thank God is wasn’t that at all…As for kids poisoning the dog… hope they get a good kick in the ass… and what goes around comes around…

I have a Pitty mix. She’s the BEST dog we’ve ever had when it comes to children. We’ve had done very friendly dogs in our life. But nothing compares to our dog now! Her love for kids is pure instinct and eternal. Not just for our child, but all children. I love and adore the bond my son and dog have together. It’s breathtaking. Overall, I’d say Pitties are the best breed to be raised with kids!

Finally, someone with sense who is not here to get into a stupid argument over how all “Pit Bulls” are evil and should be murdered just for having a namesake, but focusing on the real issue. The asshats who MURDERED a beloved family pet. I couldn’t agree with you more.